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Starting the new year on the right track, Alfa and the band played a set at Sidewalk down in Alfabet City. Alongside Alfa were Dave Dodds on drums, Jonathan McElroy on bass, and a very special guest pianist, Faye Garcia. 1:18 AM 1/3/2009
Danny Katz, Jay Legaspi, Marq Romero, John-Flor Sisante, and John Violago brought some sensitivity to New Jersey at last night's Sensitive Guys with Guitars show. Ashley Clack hosted the event held at PJ's Coffee in Highland Park. This was the second in a series of shows by the Sensitive Guys with Guitars. Each performance is held as a benefit for different charitable organizations. All proceeds from last night's gig will be donated to GILAS (gilas.org) and The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org). Go to sensitiveguyswithguitars.com to read their blog and stay up-to-date on future performances. 10:57 PM 12/21/2008
I flew 8000 miles last week to attend the wedding of my friend Myls. The wedding was held at the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish where she and her new husband Emman were members of the choir. Maia, keyboardist to the most awesomest band on the planet -Blank Verse, played the wedding march for the bride. CONGRATULATIONS EMMAN AND MYLS!!! 6:10 AM 11/27/2008
Fusion Ti in Edison, NJ closes it's doors today for good. Jay Legaspi, John Violago, Jason Castillo, and Marq Romero stopped by last Friday for a final jam session. I've only been to Fusion Ti once a couple of years ago, but the place is a favorite hangout for local kids and musicians. It will surely be missed. 10:32 PM 11/10/2008
Alfa was at The Bitter End on Sunday, 11/2, as part of the Singer/Songwriter Sessions. Alfa played solo on the acoustic guitar performing some new material from her upcoming CD. Stay informed on any Alfa updates by checking her newly-launched site at alfa-music.com where you can also purchase her Growth EP and see her gig calendar. 9:53 PM 11/4/2008
Deep Foundation celebrated the release of their long awaited debut album "First Draft" at the Vesta Lounge last Saturday, October 25th. Flying in from the west coast to join the mayhem was singer Ashley Robles, who contributed vocals to several tracks in the album. Another special guest was Hydroponikz performing with DF on stage and on the record. 11:20 PM 10/27/2008
Danny Katz and the Songwriters In The Round did their second show in a week at The Five Points Big Show. It was deja vu all over again twice the second time around as Danny, Jay, John, and Marq played round after round of melodies and harmonies. 12:57 PM 10/25/2008
Danny Katz, John, and Matt were invited to perform at Seton Hall's fund-raiser/food drive. While the audience was busy downing chicken wings, Danny played his 80's medleys and Transformers tributes. 10:45 PM 10/22/2008
October's Sulu Series at the Bowery Poetry Club featured Songwriters In The Round. The production, led by Danny Katz, also included Jay Legaspi, John Violago, Marq Romero, and Ryan Abugan w/ Michael Capito. The performers played in turns mixing in their compositions with covers. 10:45 PM 10/22/2008
I went to B.B.King's in Times Square last Friday to see a co-worker, Nancyjeanne, perform with her band. The people at work have been talking about how she can sing and all so I figured it would be fun to check them out. Unfortunately, she never showed up. The female lead singer of The Airwaves did sort of look like her, but it was a completely different person. It was disappointing to not have seen her perform. The band was quite awesome though and everyone had a blast. 10:45 PM 10/22/2008
Girl power dominated September's Big Show at The Five Points Mission. The dynamic duo of Georgia and Florann a.k.a. G-Flo was on first backed by Ray Gejon. Next up was Wallows led by their gorgeous frontwoman Avelyn. Both features performed a mix of covers and originals with Wallows doing an awesome cover of Paramore. 2:58 AM 9/27/2008
At part 2 of the Rock In The Box weekend, everyone partied even harder at the Crash Mansion. And the lineup was nothing less than exceptional: Then Again (New Jersey), Circled Sin (Maryland), PI (Washington DC), Rayzed (California), Alfa (New Jersey), Steel Polly (Maryland), ACI9 (Chicago), Noizytoyz (Canada), Out of Luck (Canada), Qwadra (New York), Diablo Royale (New York), Trickbag (New Jersey), Binky Bianca (New Jersey), The Happy Analogues (New Jersey). Unfortunately, we had to leave a little too early thanks to Ron. I cannot wait for Rock In The Box 3!!! UPDATE: Photos from both nights have been uploaded at poptimesmagazine.com. 11:58 AM 8/31/2008
The labor day weekend is here and so is Rock In The Box 2. The first show wrapped last night at Rehab and what a night it was. I just got up an hour ago and I'm already getting ready to go to the second show. Jersey bands playing were Bleud, Sodapop Suicide, and Kuwagos (who'll also be on stage tonight). Driving in from Maryland were Earplug and The Third Element. From Indiana came Indiagos. Representing Chicago were Lucidblur, Daybreak, and the band I've been waiting to see since RITB1, Bagwis. And finally, all the way from New York, were Wallows, John Violago, Blue Mellon Pop, Jason Castillo, and Kayumanggi. 6:09 PM 8/30/2008
Gearing up for next week's Rock In The Box event, Pinoy rockers jammed at The Five Points Big Show last Friday. The hard rocking Qwadra was the featured group for the night preceded by the first- and possibly last- performance of The Ron Gejon Band. Qwadra and a host of other Filipino musicians will be performing next weekend at Rehab on 8/29 and Crash Mansion on 8/30 celebrating the release of Rock In The Box 2. More info at soulworksrecords.com. Tickets are selling fast. Get yours now! 9:30 PM 8/23/2008
CONGRATULATIONS RIA!!!!! Ria Martin took home the Long Gown and Swimsuit awards at the Philippine Fiesta Pageant. The competition was held at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ where the annual convention takes place. This was the last assignment for my D80 on what turned out to be one crazy weekend. In the past three days, we've been to three events and one photo assignment, well before it's even a week old! 1:14 AM 8/18/2008
The first east coast Asian-American hip hop convention, The AM Classics, was held last Saturday at the Public Assembly in Williamsburg. Asian-American artists from all over participated in the event which also featured Jay Legaspi, Cynthia Lin, Heather Park, and Warholsoup. On the Hip Hop Showcase were Chosen1, Deep Foundation, Dumbfoundead, Hydroponikz, Koba, LyraFlip, Magnetic North, Misnomer(s), Youthinasia, and with DJ Boo spinning on-stage. 1:12 AM 8/18/2008
On Wednesday 8/13 at 6:04 PM, my new baby came into the world. My brand spankin new D80, and what will now be it's conjoined twin Nikkor 50mm, is replacing my beloved R1 from active duty. The R1 is not retiring, but after noticing that the hardware may be suffering from fatigue, I caved in and got the new rig earlier than I had planned. For it's first test, I took the D80 to the Philippine Fiesta Gala where Ria Martin will be competing in the pageant. 8:06 AM 8/16/2008
Danny Katz and the cast of Eternally Bueller performed at the Duplex last weekend. I managed to catch the Sunday show as the Saturday show was sold out. The night's theme was music from the 80's, featuring songs from TV comedies and ad jingles. Joe played the synth-drums (very 80's), John played bass, and Danny sat on the keys while Rachel and Carlo took over lead vocals. 10:57 AM 8/3/2008
Rockers Trickbag and Blue Mellon Pop were the featured performers at The Five Points' July Big Show. Blue Mellon Pop struck first and got the crowd rocking. Trickbag followed suit and blew everyone's eardrums off. It is quite a spectacle when hardcore Pinoy rockers take on Five Points. Many thanks to Lyn of Tambayan Productions for putting together the line-up! 10:57 AM 8/3/2008
It's been quite a while since I've been to the Laugh Lounge, but since I heard Master Lee was gonna be there, I decided to go. Oh, and P-Flo (or G-Flo) was also performing. :p It was P-Flo's Jammin' Asian debut and it being a comedy show, they put a few gags in their routine. Tijuana Yacht Club, a musical comedic duo, was a big hit. The show was held as a fund-raiser for the recent disasters that hit Asia. The benefit was organized by Yellow Fever NYC (yellowfevernyc.com), a social club for Asian-Americans. 9:59 AM 7/9/2008
ALFEXABETH were featured in this month's Five Points Big Show bringing back Alfa to Silk Road. Alexa Cabellon was first up followed by Elizabeth Jalandoni who was joined on stage by her brother. Last was Alfa with Dave Dodds on drums and Jonathan McElroy on bass. Alfa and the F-words(???) played a mix of old favorites and brand spankin' new songs. 9:42 PM 6/30/2008
We just got home from another weekend at the studio with Jay Legaspi. Saturday was at Melody Lanes for "T-shirt & Sweats" with Jay working on percussions & guitar, and John doing bass. Sunday was at One East with the Garcia ensemble playing strings for "Jacket Lining", then later on with John finishing up basswork for the sessions that he missed. 3:13 AM 6/23/2008
I dropped in on Glad Hearts' recording session last Saturday at Melody Lanes. They were recording drum tracks for their upcoming album. There were a few technical issues earlier on, but nothing that John Valencia, sound engineer/bassist, can't handle. The rest of the pics are online at glad-hearts.blogspot.com. 9:24 PM 6/16/2008
To celebrate our second anniversary, me and my R1 did a photoshoot for stage/film/tv actress, dancer and opera singer Banaue Miclat. So far, my R1 has taken over 45,000 shots. Although we've been having some issues lately, we are still very happy together. But I've also had my eye on a lovely new Nikon for a while now... 8:15 PM 6/3/2008
Matt Sia and Marissa Quito tied the knot last Saturday, May 24,2008 at St.Paul's in Princeton, NJ. The reception was held at the Westin-Princeton, where the groom sang for the beautiful bride. I almost cried. Almost. CONGRATULATIONS MATT & MARISSA!!! 12:52 AM 5/28/2008
The youngest of the Violago Clan, Steve, performed at his school's Dance Extravaganza. No surprise- he came on-stage wearing a Jabbawockee mask. The rest of the show was an interesting mix of hip-hop, Korean, and Indian dances. 5:22 PM 5/12/2008
Last Saturday, Jay Legaspi was in the studio with the crew recording "Maggie" and "Absence". Jay, Matt, Danny and John Valencia were busy at Melody Lanes laying down the drum tracks while I was getting busy at the Brooklyn Brewery next door with Paul Terwedow and Brian Nadres. For anyone interested in seeing what it's like hanging in the studio with Jay, there's a really cool behind-the-scenes video posted by Gina on Facebook. 5:18 PM 5/12/2008
It's the Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I didn't get any shots of the Cherry Blossoms, as I was busy taking pictures of Dandelion instead. Danny-san performed with his shamisen ensemble and we took some glamour shots after the show. 4:05 PM 5/5/2008
We were at the Brookdale Campus yesterday for the Pilipinos Of Hunter's (POH) Barrio. The event showcased Hunter talents including John Violago, Jackie Mariano, Marifelle Macasaet, Colleen Reyes, Georgia Fox, The POHnuts, and more. Guest performers were Amanda Yu, Two Warriors, JuCe & the Sexifiers, and Jay Legaspi. The night's star was none other than Ron Gejon who performed with nearly every act and barely left the stage. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN! 1:52 PM 5/4/2008
While most all of my entries are music related, I cannot help but post this picture of my friend's little baby girl. Little Adrienne was baptized last Sunday and we did an impromptu portrait session after the festivities. Extremely cute, no? 1:48 PM 5/4/2008
The Five Points was packed to capacity by fans of the April Big Show features Cate Song and Albert Cheung. I have never, ever seen Five Points that overcrowded. Every seat in the house was taken, and people were literally spilling out the performance area. There was barely any breathing room, but Cate and Albert's kickass sets made the hazardous conditions well worth it. 1:45 PM 5/4/2008
Ramapo College's Filipino American Student Association (FASA) held their annual Barrio on April 19. Featured was Bay Area musician Jeremy "Passion" Manongdo. Other acts present were Jay Legaspi, Music Happens, and a special reunion performance by House of Straw. 1:35 PM 5/4/2008
Pinoy power rockers Kuwagos and Happy Analogues teamed up for a Five Points Double Feature last April 18th. The rock show was preceeded by the obligatory round of Five Points comedians. Also performing that night was Hunter's Ms.Philippines and all-around superstar, Jackie Mariano. 1:32 PM 5/4/2008
TGIF (Thank God I'm Filipino) was hosted last Friday by the Roselle Catholic's Filipino Club. Pinoy bands from New York and New Jersey participated in the event to raise funds for Gawad Kalinga (gawadkalinga.org)- a charitable organization focused on poverty in the Philippines and around the world. In the roster were JuCe, Jason Castillo, Music Happens, Bleud, poets Two Warriors, Warholsoup, John Violago, Amanda Yu's All Stars (featuring Matt Pana, Jay Legaspi, John Violago, Jason Castillo, Ron Gejon), Jonkristoffer, and Jay Legaspi. 4:08 PM 4/6/2008
The Five Points went all hip hop last night for this month's Big Show. The first featured performer was Hydroponix who was later joined by the members of Deep Foundation. Next up was Brooklyn rapper Koba. The night's spotlight act was The Aesthetics Crew from California. DJ Boo backed both Koba and The Aesthetics Crew. Five Points comedians Ruben Mehta and Hogwild also performed. 8:52 PM 3/29/2008
Check out this portrait of Jay, Newly Made Stranger -J.Legaspi painted by *cottonball. View this painting and lots more cool stuff on her deviantART gallery: cottonball.deviantart.com Very nice!!! Thanks Cathy!!! 11:23 PM 3/27/2008
Last Friday at The Five Points Variety Hour were the Pilipinos Of Hunter (POH) for their fund-raising show "Smoke 'Em". Performing were both students and alumni of Hunter College. The show was hosted by Georgia Fox, who also performed with her awesome band (that's us). In the lineup were John Violago, Jason Castillo, Ron Gejon, Jackelyn Mariano, Two Warriors, The Freshmen, Flo Estiller, Marifelle Macasaet, Mike Vargas, Chris Rivera, Ruben Mehta and Air Tabigue. 9:46 PM 3/23/2008
The first session for RAW Radio (Resonating Awareness Worldwide) was recorded yesterday at Chinatown's Silk Road Place. RAW is a monthly podcast which will feature musicians, poets, and all forms of local acts. At the recording session was a bevy of local artists including Marq of Warholsoup, Jason Castillo, John Violago, Danny Katz, Matt Pana, Julian "JuCe" Pormentilla, Ashley Clack and Jay Legaspi at the forefront. 12:40 PM 3/10/2008
The NYU International Filipino Association's (IFA) annual Pass The Mic was held last Saturday March 8th. IFA members lined up and put on a great show. Among the guest performers were Jason Castillo and Myke Christian. The night's featured artist was none other than NYU's very own superstar, Alfa. 12:40 PM 3/10/2008
Rutgers Association of Philippine Students (RAPS) hosted this year's Battle of the Barrios- a competition among Filipino clubs from different colleges. Each participating club produced a skit promoting Filipino culture paired with modern dance performances. St.John's PARE was the big winner, also taking home the Culture prize. Skit went to Rutgers RAPS and Modern to NYU IFA. Guest performers were dance crew Fr3sh and Jay Legaspi. But amidst all this talent, Amanda Yu's rendition of the Philippine National Anthem stole the night. I have never heard it done better, and never from a non-Pinoy(!?!?!?!?). 2:43 AM 3/3/2008
We drove out to Seton Hall to play (compete???) in Filipino League At Seton Hall's (FLASH) Breakdance Not Hearts Dance Competition. Jason Castillo was invited as a guest performer, but due to his dancing prowess somehow managed to be put in the running for the dance contest. Not to be outdone were JuCe & the Sexifiers who got their groove on and eventually took home a coveted Golden Barrel Man. 9:36 AM 2/25/2008
Ray "the talented Gejon" Gejon played his first feature performance at the Five Points February Big show. Supporting him were Jason Castillo and JuCe & the Sexifiers. The host for the night was none other than Matt Pana who also banged for the main acts. Making a guest appearance was Seattle duo Dave Hates Chico. 9:36 AM 2/25/2008
Salvesam hosted an OPM Night on 2/2 featuring Sound View Point, Myke Christian, Jason Castillo, Jing RA, John Violago, and Music Happens. Though everyone was supposed to perform all OPM music, most cheated and just did their original songs arguing they are Pinoy and the songs are Originals. 10:15 PM 2/4/2008
The Five Points Big Show for December featured singer-songwriters Alexandra Kelly and Elizabeth Jalandoni. Five Points staple Myke Christian also made a special appearance and performed a few of his songs. It was my first gig that I booked, and stupid me missed half the show. X( 10:20 AM 12/30/2007
It was "Open Mike" night down at Salvesam last Saturday the 1st. First to perform was Mike who got a little help from Myke for a couple of songs. Next was Myke joined by Mike, Tiffany, Jeff and Glenn. Last but not the least was Mike. Mike, Mike, Myke and Mike then jammed with the rest of the guys and the Salvesam crew. 12:38 AM 12/4/2007
This month's Sulu Series was held downtown at the Bowery Poetry Club. Taiyo Na hosted with DJ Boo spinning records. The line-up of poets was led by Ngo Than Nhan, followed by Rachelle A. Cruz, Vinh Hua, Jeannel Garcia, and Joseph Legaspi. 6:22 PM 11/19/2007
Kenny's Castaways was rocked last Saturday by the combined forces of Jing RA and GEM. GEM Records had their Thanksgiving Party @ Kenny's led by the Kissing Drummer Girl herself, Gem Cristobal. Jing played an acoustic set with Myke and Supercop Glenn Sabas on percussions, before unleashing the Sync-its with Gem on Drums, Rommel of the Kuwagos on bass, guitar hero Juri-juri, and Jing on lead vocals. For the finale, Sam Serra took over the stage and rocked the eardrums off the crowd. 6:22 PM 11/19/2007
The Write to Our Culture Showcase, a fund-raiser by the Collaborative Opportunities for Raising Empowerment, Inc.(core-nyc.org), was held last Thursday at the Nightingale Lounge. The project aims to provide books and other media highlighting the Filipino culture to libraries and schools in the tri-state area. Headlining the event was John Violago backed by Ron Gejon. Among the other performers were Jing RA, Myke Christian, Tonet Mariano, Joseph Legaspi, Mike Swift, and hosts Mark & Harry, a.k.a. The Two Warriors. 6:22 PM 11/19/2007
Salvesam hosted a wild and crazy Halloween bash last Saturday, the 27th. Costumes ranged from hot (Bonnie) to bizaare (Bondying?) to downright scary (Sehl). Atomic Sole, JME, Jason Castillo, Myke Christian, Jing RA, and John Violago played music for the insane crowd. Top prize for the men's costume contest went to Bondying, and Wonder Woman for the women's division. Although I still maintain Sehl should have won BOTH categories. 8:20 AM 10/30/2007
Jay Legaspi celebrated his birthday by rocking the September edition of The Five Points Big Show. Backing Jay was John Violago and Matt Pana. Opening the show was John with the band featuring Jason Castillo and Ron Gejon. Comedienne Nikki Chawla hosted with Five Points regular Ruben Mehta making a guest appearance. You, Me, and a Hurricane played an acoustic set between acts. 8:20 AM 10/30/2007
The Five Points Variety hour last October 19th featured Elizabeth Jalandoni a.k.a. The Silver Cupcake. The place was packed full, thanks to the joint forces of Elizabeth's fans and Alfa & Adrienne's entourage. Also playing that night was Jason Castillo, who brought up Myke Christian to sing "Hangin". More pics from the night, and all future Five Points shows, can be seen at nycfivepoints.com. 9:08 AM 10/21/2007
We were at the One East Recording Studio last Monday (10/8) where Jay Legaspi was recording tracks for his next CD. Carlo Garcia a.k.a. The Manila Gorilla was there with his string quartet comprised of his brother and sisters. While they were busy recording, we headed out to Madison Square Park to shoot pics for Manila Gorilla's latest line of "T-shirts and Sweaters". Pictured on the left is the lovely Marie Martin modelling a Manila Gorilla original tee and hoodie. Get yours at manilagorilla.com or email manilagorilla1@gmail.com. 10:17 AM 10/13/2007
The Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI) invited John to an Open House/Tiangge at their Jamaica office last Sunday, October 7th. FAHSI is a non-profit organization created to serve the Filipino Community in New York. Their programs are mainly targetted towards the youth, women, new immigrants, and the elderly. For more info, go to fahsi.org to view their current programs and volunteer opportunities. 10:17 AM 10/13/2007
Matt Sia played back-to-back shows on October 3rd in the Lower East Side. The first show was at the Sidewalk Cafe where he performed with co-conspirator Rob Lara. His second show was at Julep, which we were, unfortunately, unable to attend since we all had to get home early :p. 10:17 AM 10/13/2007
Alfa performed at the Bitter End the first day of October. Opening the show was Josh Dion of the Josh Dion band. Check out his site at joshdionband.com- this guy's awesome. On stage with Alfa were three other members of the New York Songwriters Circle: Amy Ward, Hillary Johnson, and John Schmitt. They put on a great show, but there was not enough Alfa, in my opinion :p. She only played 3 of her songs, "Meaningless Conversation" on guitar and "Same Old Paradise" & "Good Night Romeo" on the piano. It's always nice hearing songs played on the keys at the Bitter End as they have an actual baby grand on stage. 10:17 AM 10/13/2007
The September Big show at Five Points was held on September 28. The show was hosted by comedienne Erica Skeete with special guest Hogwild. The first act were The Two Warriors, Harry and Mark. Next were Magnetic North- I'm not a big fan of rap, but these two are incredible. Go to magnetichiphop.com and see for yourself. Matt Sia performed an acoustic set, then helped out the last performer, Alex Cruz, with a number. 10:17 AM 10/13/2007
Jay Legaspi and company were back in the One East Recording Studio for their second recording session. Jay was joined by his trusty band-mates John and Matt of the Matt Pana Bangs Anything Association (MBAA) with John Valencia running the controls. Matt Sia also joined in to add backing vocals to the track "Protective". 10:59 AM 9/19/2007
The Five Points held their 4th Anniversary Show last September 14. Featured were plenty of Teabag talents and a short film by THREE21 films. Five Points director Felize Mirasol hosted the event. Musical acts included Eugene Song, The Misnomers feat. DJ Boo, Soce the elemental wizard, the remnants of The Ides, Jing RA, Sugar Coated Goodness, and John Violago. Also on stage were comedians Helen Hong, Erica Skeete, Ruben Mehta, and of course, Hogwild. Poets were represented by Tonet, Tina G, and Darian Cauchan. 10:59 AM 9/19/2007
Playing from the free throw line is Alfa at the PIBNA All-Pinoy Basketball tourney held at Queens College. She played a few songs during the awarding ceremonies, featuring the un-rated version of "Meaningless Conversation". Also performing at the event were Koba, Deep Foundation, Anne Beryl, and the St.John's Band. 3:05 PM 9/3/2007
Alfa's latest show takes us to Allendale, NJ's Holy Grounds Coffee Lounge. Alfa was backed by a full band- something she has not done in quite a while. It was actually my first time seeing her with a band. On drums was David A. Dodds, Victor Vega on guitars, and Jonathan McElroy on bass. Opening the show was And Ever Endeavor from Philly. 10:58 AM 9/1/2007
Last night's Big Show at Five Points featured Matt Sia and John Violago. The show was hosted by comedian Ruben Mehta. Some out-of-towners also performed as did Matt's co-conspirator Rob Lara. During John's set, Jason Castillo happened to walk in and got called out on stage for a couple of House of Straw songs. 7:41 AM 8/25/2007
Matt Pana and John de Castro hosted John's send-off shindig/Matt's birthday show at Je Bon in St.Mark's Place. Headlining the event were Alfa, Matt Sia, and Jay Legaspi. Poets Ashley, Ruby, and the Two Warriors rounded out the lineup. 8:23 AM 8/18/2007
Over the weekend, I tagged along with my brother to Jay's recording sessions. Jay was in the studio with John and Matt Pana to record songs for his upcoming album. They spent two days straight at the One East Recording Studio in Midtown to record "Paper Shapes" and "You're Not Enough For My Friend". The control room was manned by John Valencia and Paul Terwedow assisted by a couple of dismembered arms. 8:28 PM 8/6/2007
The third and final installment of this year's July Babies Series was held last Saturday at Salvesam in Queens. Jing, Jason, and John rocked Salvesam all the way til morning. Also performing were Jersey talents Tina Czarina and Music Happens, drummer Matt Pana, and back from the Homeland, Myke Christian. Cho from the Kuwagos and Pogi Boi Ivan rounded out the night's jam session. Props to July Baby Rhea and the Salvesam crew!!! 8:16 AM 7/22/2007
July Babies Series part 2 took place last Friday, July 20. Jason and John performed at The Five Points Variety Hour with Ron and Matt Pana. Among the revelers were musicians Jay Legaspi, Matt Sia w/Rob Lara, poets Ruby of iLL-Literacy, Jen, Tonet, Two Warriors, and comedian Hogwild. More cupcakes were found at the scene. Jing RA was having another show at Wuzz Up, but the Five Points show ended too late for us to make it to Jersey. 7:48 AM 7/22/2007
The July Babies Jing, Jason, and John had the first of several birthday celebration shows at this month's Jammin Asian. The festivities, complete with cupcakes and a magician, was kicked off by host Air Tabigue. Comedians Ruben Mehta, Jiwon Li, and co-host Tom Hudson also performed. The night's special guest was singer/songwriter/guitarist/drummer/producer Gem. 11:52 PM 7/13/2007
John and company played at the Wuzz Up cafe last Friday with the fabulous Princess. Princess wowed the crowd with her powerful vocals which was quite amazing given her petite frame. John played a mix of covers and original songs, but the audience was asking for more 'inuman' favorites which we were unfortunately unprepared for. We shall have more for you next time, Wuzz Up! 7:28 PM 7/8/2007
John played the opening act at Nuves Bar last Thursday for Jersey band Threeve. It was an odd match-up, with John's usually mellow acoustic set being paired with heavy metal bands, but it was a fun night, nonetheless. I also got to use my light kit on a live gig for the first time and it turned out pretty good. 1:07 PM 6/30/2007
We were back in Bergenfield yesterday for a gig at the Wuzz Up Cafe. The night's main event, the Kuwagos, played two sets to open and close the show. It always amazes me how their frontman Gatchie can be so awesome performing even while totally buzzed. Kuwagos rule! Jersey bands including The Mute also joined in on the fun. 10:03 PM 6/3/2007
One year ago, on May 31, I brought my baby, my beloved, my R1 home. Since I fired my first shots with it, the counter has reset twice for a grand total of over 21,000 pics (of which 99.99% is crap). To commemorate my R1's birthday- or more appropriately our first anniversary together since it probably came out of the factory line much earlier- I bought my R1 a light kit. And what better way to celebrate than by taking my camera and new kit to a shoot with my favorite model-slash-artist, Alfa. 10:03 PM 6/3/2007
The first show for Friday's double-header was Alfa's gig at Macy*s. That's right, Macy*s. The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) hosted a musical production at Macy*s Herald Square. The event, hosted by AZN TV host Angela Tsai, also featured The Misnomers, Johnny Hi-fi, Heather Park, and Chan. After her show, downtown I went to the Duplex for Danny Katz's 90's covers show. Danny was backed by his drummer Joe, guitarist Mike, bassist John, and for their pornograffittic encore, his sister on lead vocals. 12:45 AM 5/23/2007
The Pilipinos Of Hunter (POH) held their very first talent showcase at Hunter College's Brookdale Campus. First up was the "John Violago Band" (whoever came up with that should be shot). John's set highlights the return of violinist extraordinaire Reyenne Maghirang. Joining John on stage were Jason Castillo, Ron Gejon, Roy Gejon, Georgia Fox, and Jamila Dula. Also performing was Jay Legaspi with percussionist Matt Pana (and his box with a hole). 6:45 PM 5/16/2007
May 9, 2007 marks Alfa's graduation from the New York University. Celebrations were held at Wuzz Up Cafe in Bergenfield last Friday the 11th. To get the party started, Marq Romero, Jing RA, John Violago and Danny Katz did their thing before bare-footed Alfa took the stage :D CONGRATULATIONS ALFA!!!!! 6:20 PM 5/16/2007
I finally got to see my dreamgirl Lea Salonga in person at the Broadhurst Theatre. Lea plays the role of Fantine in Les Miserables throughout the summer, I believe. I was so nervous that when I was asking her to sign my playbill, no words would come out my mouth and I pretty much shoved the thing in her face. Then my mom kept telling me to pose next to Lea for a picture, I blurted "AYOKO" out loud and startled Lea a bit. When she handed me back the playbill, her hand brushed up against mine and I almost fainted... My brother managed to take this pretty nice shot of Lea giving me her autograph with his chocolate phone. I love Lea!!!! 2:05 AM 5/11/2007
Jason Castillo headlined last night's Variety Hour at The Five Points. Backed by John Violago, Jason also shared the night's spotlight with two-fifths of New Arrival. Franco Alejandro and frontman Amado Fernando of New Arrival played an acoustic set for their Five Points debut. Hosted by the beautiful Erica, the show featured mostly comedians including Air Tabigue and Five Points regular HogWild. 6:36 PM 5/5/2007
Ugnayan kicked off their Musikabataan Festival last Saturday at Terraza cafe. Poets and artists that participated included Calamity, Ree Obana, Marvin Kwong, Myke Christian, and NYFP. John Violago played backed by Jason Castillo and Ron Gejon. Ugnayan's very own girl band Yanyon rocked the house with their long awaited return performance. Catch the second part of the Musikabataan Festival this coming Friday 5/4 at Terraza featuring Koba, the Kuwagos, the Happy Analogues, Qwadra, and Sining Pandayan. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
All good things must come to an end and the Poet's Lounge had it's Last Word on Wednesday at The Five Points. Among the poets were Zev Torres, Tina G, Jen Garcia, Tonet Mariano, Two Warriors, Isis Arias and featured spoken word artist Justin Woo. First on stage was singer/songwriter/hootersman Jason Castillo. Other musicians that performed were John Violago with Ron Gejon, Paul Bauer and Marq Romero. Poet's Lounge host and director Feliza Mirasol closed the show with her own finale piece. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
Jay Legaspi and company took to lower Manhattan to perform at Arlene's Grocery on April 20. Backed by John Violago on bass, Matt Pana on drums, and Danny Katz on keys, Jay played an hour long set to a raucous crowd. I got there a little early and managed to take a few shots of Moby during the soundcheck with his band The Little Death. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
Having been away for a couple of weeks and missing more than a few gigs, I was more than thrilled to be back at Salvesam for April 14's Tunog ng Banda. Even more exciting was the fact that New Arrival (there's no 'S' damnit) was also there to perform. John, Jason and Ron started off the night followed by Manny Pacquiao's KO against Solis, Myke, New Arrival and Music Happens. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
The March edition of the Laugh Lounge's Jammin Asian show featured John Violago, Tina Czarina, and Jason Castillo. Air Tabigue and Tom Teska hosted the show. Comics Frank Hong, Dan Kim and Esther Ku provided the laughs. The night's featured comedian was the very hardcore, very Chinese, and very scary Master Lee. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
Musicians from New York, New Jersey, and even as far as Canada descended upon Bistro San Miguel on the 10th of May to celebrate Miss Ali-Nea's birthday. John Violago, Jason Castillo, and Myke Christian opened the show. Representing New Jersey were Music Happens, Trickbag, and my #2 favorite band (only because Vikki won't acknowledge me as her #1 fan) New Arrival. 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
March 8th saw Jay Legaspi playing at Paul Colby's The Bitter End. Backing Jay was his merry band with John Violago on bass, Matt Pana on the drums, and the grand Danny Katz on the grand piano. Shown on the pic to the left is Mr.Katz providing hilarity and backing vocals to Jay's tune "You're Not Enough For My Friend". 12:12 AM 4/30/2007
Tuesday night at Kenny's Castaways hosted Alfa and Matt Sia. I got stuck at work and got to the show late, but I still managed to catch Matt sing "Devil Woman". It was freakin cold out, and lately it seems that everytime I see Alfa, there's either a blizzard or arctic blast. Alfa was freezing on stage, but put on a great show nonetheless. 8:55 AM 3/7/2007
My brother performed last Sunday at the Galapagos Art Space's Sulu Series event. Sharing the stage were poets Sarah Gambito from kundiman.org and the Two Warriors. Also performing was Falu; I've been listening to her music on MySpace (myspace.com/falu) for some time now, but watching her live was a quite an experience. Her sound is totally unique, yet somehow so familiar. The crowd at Galapagos can't help but dance away to her hypnotizing music, beautiful voice, and gyrating moves (way too sexy). Of course, it didn't hurt that her band was just amazing. 12:57 AM 3/6/2007
Friday was All-Filipino Night at The Five Points Variety Hour and Pinoys of all shapes and sizes came out in full force. Comics Kevin Nadal and Rowena joined the Two Warriors and a throng of musicians in a crazy orgy of Filipino talent. Among the musical performers were Jason Castillo, Waty, Matt Sia, Myke Christian, Jing, Binky Bianca, Warholsoup, and J'Me. 2:37 AM 3/4/2007
After getting home at 4am on Saturday, we had to drive all the way out to Red Bank, NJ that same night for Bistro San Miguel's Music Love Jam Session. It was well worth it! Music Happens blew the doors open; Tina Czarina, Myke Christian, Jason Castillo, and my brother did their thing; Jing rocked with the axe-shredding Juri-Juri; J'Me mellowed it down accompanied by Warholsoup's Weeping Panda; and Warholsoup topped off one unforgettable show. Chapter2 was awesome from the get-go. Even their soundcheck was amazing! The kids from New Arrival totally blew everyone away with their debut performance! Their 12-year old guitarist rocked like she's been playing for 20 years - and she sings too! My head was spinning from all the excitement. It's already Monday night, and I'm still recovering. 8:53 PM 2/26/2007
Myke Christian celebrated his 24th with a hard-rocking Tunog ng Banda night at Salvesam. The night's featured acts were John Violago, Jason Castillo, Tina Czarina, and of course, the birthday boy himself. Jing & Marq, Waty, plus the Kuwagos and Blue Mellon Pop were on hand to rock the show all the way til 3 in the morning. 1:41 PM 2/24/2007
Valentine's day came and went, and I had no date. So off to the Poet's Lounge I went to man the soundboard in lieu of my sick brother. Luckily, Jason was there to take over the sound and I was able to take some shots. With Feliza on vacation in SF, Jen Garcia and Myke hosted the night's proceedings which featured poets Mark and Harry a.k.a. the Two Warriors. Afterwards, I trekked to the Terraza Cafe to catch Ugnayan's V-day fundraiser. I got there too late for the show, though, so I just had a couple of drinks with the Yanyon girls. 1:06 PM 2/17/2007
Yesterday, I took my camera to it's very first photo shoot. WITH ALFA!!! WOOHOO!!! With my assistant in tow, we took to Long Island City's Gantry Park for an hour and a half shoot. We would have stayed longer, but frostbite was about to set in. We then headed to NYU to take a few more shots with Alfa on the piano before watching the NYU International Filipino Association's Pass the Mic. Headlined were Alfa, Jing & Marq, and Matt Sia. Other performers included poets, spoken word artists, and more musical acts. 11:58 PM 2/11/2007
Thursday marked the return of The Five Points to Je Bon Lounge. After a brief hiatus, The East Side Show is back to rock the house with Jay Legaspi and Camino. Indonesian-Filipina Waty was the surprise guest performer of the night. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of juice early. I need a spare battery. Lame. 4:36 PM 2/11/2007
HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FIVE POINTS POET'S LOUNGE!!! Cake for everybody!!! The night's featured poets were Prophet and Harry of the Two Warriors. Music was provided by John Violago, Jason Castillo, Myke Christian, Tina Czarina and Danny Katz. Featured was singer-songwriter Michael Hsu. 2:37 PM 2/8/2007
An intimate crowd gathered at The Five Points last night for the Poet's Lounge. Regulars John Violago and Jason Castillo were in the line-up, and innocent audience member Danny Katz was coerced into performing a few of his songs. The night's featured act was Long Islander John-Flor Sisante. 11:56 PM 2/1/2007
Last Wednesday, The Five Points was packed full for this week's Poet's Lounge. While John Violago, Jason Castillo and Myke Christian hogged the stage for most of the night, they did give way to the poets and the other musical acts. Tina Czarina and Danny Katz performed, and the show was capped off by featured artist Eugene Song. 6:36 PM 1/27/2007
Bistro San Miguel in Red Bank, NJ hosted an Acousticly Soundgasmic Jam Session last night. My brother was the first act, followed by Music Happens, Tina Czarina, then Full Recovery. Jay Legaspi who was in the audience came on stage with John and Matt to perform a couple of songs. After the show, they usually have an open jam session, but we had to break out to catch Sonny's bon voyage party/Tunog ng Banda show at Salvesam in Queens Village, NY. The drive back was nasty, but we made it to Salvesam as Atomic Sole was performing. Other performers including John, Jason Castillo and Myke Christian jammed well into the night. 10:28 PM 1/14/2007
Went to see this month's Jammin' Asian show at the Laugh Lounge last night. It was an all-girl show featuring Alfa, Binky and Asian comediennes. All the comedy acts were hilarious, though I thought one performer stood out - Esther Ku. Extremely cute and equally filthy. Check out her page at funnyku.com. They tried to cut Alfa's set by one song, but the crowd went ballistic. Beer bottles, tables and chairs were hurled at host Air Tabigue (ok, maybe they were just chanting for one more song, but it got real close to turning violent). In the end, Alfa did one more song. About pi. 0_o 8:42 PM 1/10/2007
I got a new digital camera a few months ago, and I've been carrying it along to take pictures at my brother's gigs. He sent this shot to Alfa, and she put it on her myspace- she even used it on a promotional poster! This inspired me to make a collection of photos from these shows I've attended. I've been meaning to upload the site, but I've been too busy (lazy) to do the editing. Since this is a new year, I'm turning a new leaf (not really) and I resolve to be more pro-active with all my photography/web projects (probably until next week). Happy New Year! 7:15 PM 1/1/2007 |
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